Thrashing machine



March 31, 1925.

B. S. SUMMERS THRASHING MACHINE F" ed FeB. 9, 192

7 sheet sq et 1 B. S. SUMMERS THRASHING MACHINE March 31, l925.-

Fil ed Feb.

a w a 9 1921 is I Lag/L757 B. S. SUMMERS THRASHING MACHINE March 31,1925. 1,531,320

Filed Feb. 9, 1921 'r sheets-Suit 3- Mili'Ch 31. 1925.

B. S. SUMMERS THRASHING MACHINE Fil e'd F615. 9, 1921 '7 Sheets-Sheet 4 aye/257 March 31, 1925. 1,531,320

v B. S. SUMMERS THRASHING MACHINE Filed Feb'. 9, 1921 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 J ri/072d 5 fiammerg,

March 31, 1925.

B. s. SUMMERS THRASHING MACHINE TSheets-Sheet 6 March 31, 1925.

B. 5:3. SUMMERS THRASHING MACHINE 7 sheets-' sheet 7 Filed Feb. 9, 1921 WW6 5 amma/:5,

Patented Mar, '31, 1925;

' ppuamh 3311 itiuaiy 1th; stem 49,5 5

it I fi -n theft I; Bmt'iii-sxb S; SUM- MERS, aficiitizen pf the States, reside at rtlhr wn t e cd y o Cl'airqyid Stat'e'bf. Miehigqfi, he I njvented cextai rl nlW and useful "II'II ing is e spcifiea'tien.

This in'if'entidh 'lv'l at'es' t0 :1 new lhfd im proved th raQShingme'cIiihe,'ehtl mere pixtieularl 'y t9 an impi-eve'lfint 'ifli tha'ttyf'pe of thliwshing mipchihes khbwh as strippers. ln mafehliiiesef this-eharaetelthe seed 01f ,seed are l'exfriox' ed from the graih with the minimum possible inj lii'y to the straw,

vIn appel dtusjef thisi'ki'ild the thrashingaetion is applied mime per pd 01} gpein-canyirjxg eifd bf thehstifaw, amid the straw itself is'fpi'Ote'eteQ {tibih "ab 11$; by the 'lnaehihe. Sfih mew-hes fife particularly (1esi1'able for use i'lijthe of stl laiv Where Both the 'sti'aw and the seed: a reofviflfle. f

It in Objeet of the present invefitlo n stmiygh 'rfd which will aeom'plish this result without injury t6 thes't'raw, k

It'i's also an to; prtovicle'appzirlttus of this ehaifaet'ep which isepid" end, effi- I cient in its operation, relatively in i'ng' Of j tlkta'posecl rollers eddptetl to roll seed pd's therebtfyeenf the *i-auers V-bi'ng' moved in pairs relative tfitheipath of the straw so that eechind ivi'dha'l stralw ishaeted upoii a plulelityof times hythe i'qllels'dpri ng its pessege'thi'otlghthe meehihe; The rollei'sfmfiwa insiih manner reletivefto the straw that; e hipping aetion as e Figure 2 is 'ar'ielevatibnbfthe'maehine;

. P. em. n? Threshing} Machine's, bf whjell -the fel lbw is 'a View taken on 1 1m; 3 (if Figure 3, F1- life '1; gate 4 is ere'ss sectien tit-ken oil me is a; lofigitndipel seamen .l 1;: t e e is a Ib'ngi timime ect on taken F g re 011 l-in' F g Fi 7 is a .fragmen y detai ewes h ee for elly ss st ng the a y n means; 2

Figure 81's g' side elevation f modified fame-f the apparatus;

Figuie 9 is 'izplan view of the apparatus; of Figure 1"; an I m Fi ure 110 is a fragmentary detail bf the Reffiifin'g-to Fig ral to 7, the machi e-- is tii'i'ven by means o'fthepillley 8 keyed te the shaft 91 This'sha'ft is supported the by shaft 15 which is supported by the frame fittedr-iifiqnthe shaft 1 5 in such manner as to gegate thetewith' and these heels are" adapted tq be jb'intly m ved lohgitqeimny of the shaft by" the'shift lever 18', pivo tally r attached m the time at 19. The gears 20 and 21 carried bytrhe shaft22 are edited to seletivel y eglebt with ilue s 1' ah 17' respectively. Thefshift 22 also carries the sprocket Wheels 23 and 24; Also in mesh gear Wheel cztrried the shaft '26 this shaft being abbvelaln'cl 'paral'lel tq the shaft 22. This shaft 26 also carries the sprocket wheel 27.

' 'blfqad Pulley '28 is carried by the v-sh'it'ft' 9 and 1s adapted ,to rotate freely thereon; "The idler spl ocket hee1s29 "30 are carriecl by the shaft 31 located 'belbw and th ri t th pulley as sh w in Figui e 2 Similar pulleys32 and 33 are .a-ncl 3 6 alre eei'iied (in shaft 37etthe left of the pull y 2' h p l e s 3. andm elf carried o n sheft 40,t0 the ight of ]f)1 '1'lley 28.

' hegeer wh elsl and 2 ex' iqa ri det th extreme left 9f the m jechir fe upon shaft 43.

this shaft being catfied hy longitudinally all) movable journals 4&1 and 45. The continuous sprocket chain 46 runsaround sprockets 41,35, pulley 28,'sprockets 38, 2 1, 29, 32, and back to sprocket 41. Similarly the sprocket chain 47 runs parallel thereto about the adjacent series of sprockets.-

The sprocket wheel 48 is carried by the shaft 49 upon the longitudinally movable journals 50, 51 at the upper left-hand slde of the machine, as seen in Figure 2. The sprocket chain 52 passes about this sprocket 48 and also aboutthe sprocket 53 which is interposed between the pulleys 35 and 36 on the same shaft 37 therewith, thence about i the lower portion of the pulley 28, over an idler sprocket 5 1 interposed between the pulleys 38' and 39 upon the same shaft 10 therewith and about the driven sprocket 27 upon the shaft 26.

The fixed internal gear.55 is secured to the inside of the side of the frame adjacent the pulley 8 concentrically with the shaft 9. The spaced wheels 56 and 57 are secured fixedly to this shaft 9 adjacent the gear 55, these wheels carrying a plurality of radially aligned pairs of shafts 58 and 59. The inner series of shafts 58 are each provided with gears 60 reacting with the internal gear The shafts .58 alsoeach carry -inter1nediate wheels 56 and 57, a gear 61 in mesh with a gear 62 carried by the shaft 59by means of which the latter shafts are driven. The shafts 58 and 59 each extend inwardly from the wheel 56 and are provided with coacting thrashing rollers 63 and 64:. I

Asub-frame comprising the longitudinal members 65 and 66 is carried upon the main frame and is laterally adjustable thereon by means of the threaded shafts 67 and 68 which interiit with members 69 and 7 0 carried by the members 65 and 66. respectively, as best shown in Figure 7. This sub-frame further comprises vertical members 71 and 72 and also horizontal members 73 and 7 1, as best shown in Figures 3 and 1-.

Adjacent the lower portion of the ma chine and located approximately below the shaft 9 is the pair of rolls 75 and 76 which may be driven in any desired manner from the driven shaft of the machine. Thesloping guide plates 77 and 78 are adapted to lead materially falling thereon-from the machine to the rolls 75 and 76.

The form of the apparatus shown in Figures 8 and 9 comprises the frame 80 supporting the driven shaft 81. This shaft carries the driving pulley "82 secured rigidly thereto; The shaft 81 also carries the drivingsprocket 83 and the gear wheel 84;, the latter being in mesh with the gear wheel 85 carried by the shaft 86. The shaft 86 is supported by the frame parallel to the.

shaft 81 and carries the spaced sprocket wheels 87 and 88, these wheels 87 and 88 being located in planes upon opposite sides of the sprocket wheel 83. The idler sprocket wheel 89 is carried upon the short shaft 90 below and to the left of the wheel 83 and in a plane therewith. The similar sprocket 91 is carried in the same plane at the left of the machine on the shaft 92 and the sprocket wheel 9 1 is also carried in this plane at the upper left-hand side of the machine upon the shaft 95 supported in the adjustable journal mechanism 96. The continuous sprocket chain 97 runs around the sprocket wheels 83, 89, 93 and 9 1. The pair of idler sprockets. 98 and 99 is located below and to the left of the sprockets 87 and 88, respectively. A similar pair ofsprockets 100 and 101 is located in the corresponding plane on the left side of the apparatus and above them is located the pair of sprockets 102 and 103 carried on the shaft 105, which is supported by the longitudinally adjustable bearing assembly 105. The continuous sprocket chain 106 passes about the sprocket wheels 88, 99, 101 and 103. A similar chain 107 passes parallel thereto about the sprockets 87, 98, 100 and 102. The upper horizontal runs of the chains 106 and 107 are supported inparallel troughs '108 and 109, respectively. These troughs are supported from the machine frame upon the resilient springs 110. The

sprocket chain 97 has its lower horizontal run urged downwardly by the channel 111, the latter being resiliently urged away from the machine frame by the springs 112.

The spider 113 is supported upon the frame in a horizontal position, being carried by the shaft 11 1, the latter being driven from the shaft 81 by the chain 126. the counter shaft 114 and coacting bevel gears as shown in Figure 8. Thecircular rack 115 is rigidly secured to the frame concentric with the shaft 111. Each arm of the spider 113 rotatably carries a shaft 116, the latter being provided with a gear 117 meshing with the rack 115. This shaft 116 is further provided with a gear meshing with a superposed gear 118, the latter being upon a superposed short shaft 119. The outer ends of the parallel shafts 116 and 119 each carry rollers 120, the rollers being in contact; As shown in Figure 10, these rollers, as well as the similar rollers of the other form of the device, may be yieldablv maintained in contact through the shorter shaft being journaled in a movable block 121 urged toward the longer shaft by a spring 122,

Thechains 97, 108 and 109, together with their cooperating sprocket wheels, are carriedby a sub-frame 123 which is laterally adjustable upon the main frame 80 by means of screw-threaded shafts 124 and 125 in a manner similar to that already described in r. bu

llh

, connection with the sub-frame of theother form. of the apparatus. This form of the machine is also provided with the chutes 77 and 78' and the cooperating rollers 75'.

and 7.6 similar to the corresponding rollers and planes inthe first-described form of the device. a. g i r In the use of the form of my thrashing machine shown inl iigures 1 to 7, power, .is applied :to the pulley 8. upon the shaft-9 which serves to also rotate the shait by means of thesprocket chain .13 coacting with the sprocket wheels 12fand 1. 1 on the two shafts, respectively. 7 From this shaft 15 power is selectively supplied to shaft 22 by means of {one .or the-.other of the. gears. 16 and 17 and their coacting'gears 20 and 21. Thisshaft 22 through the sprockets 23 and 24 fdrivesathe sprocket chains 16 V, and 47.

Theseqchains @are continuous-and through their-contact .with the'pulley 28 for a1por= tion'oftheirtravel serveto rotate that ;pulley, -which turns-}freely on the shaft-9. The shaft 26 :is ,driven from the shaft 22 by means. of the intermeshing gears 20 and 27.

ThisshaftQfiiby means of the sprocket wheel 27 drivesthelsprocket.chain .52, which latter for a portion of its run aids inrotating the pulley 28 passing intermediate and parallel i i to chains 46and 4:7. The tension of these several sprocket chains-may be adjusted by moving their left sprocket Wheels inwardly or outwardly as desired, 7 The wheels 56 and 57 being ikeyed to the shaft 9 "are rotated: therewith. The .engagement of the gears 6 0 'with thefixed internal gear 55 serves tofrotate/the shafts ,58. and

. through the engagement of the gears 61. and

62 toirotaterthe shafts 5.9. The pairs of r0llers.-63 and 64: are thus Lg'iven'a planetary motion.

It will be .noted that 1 the contacting faces of these .rollers'63 vand fiet arelocated substantially intheplaneiof the outer surface -'ofthe.pulley28. i V

' 'Thebundles of flax are placed upon the .p

chains .46andz47 atthelleft:end of the machine and power isapplied in a direction adapted to move these chains, ;as. indicated vbythe arrow in Figure 2; -The-.flax asit moves :inwardly is clamped between ythe' chains 46 and 47 and chain 52 and iscarried by thesechains' against'the .pulley 28.

The ci'ains 46 and .47 press the flax straw against the pulley whileithexchain 52 is ,interposed between the straw andrthe pulley. As the flax is carried around 1 the lower por tion of the pulley 28*its heads project into the .pathlof the .planetary'rollers 63 and 64. Theserollers are .rotatingat a speed materially greaterthan that of the pulley 28, the pairs successively rolling the seed .podsbetween them. 'The'igearratioffl and rotary movement is such that during the passage i p of anylindividualiburidleof strawit is-rolled between {each .pair. of rollers a large number of times. As the straw .is carried by the chains 46, 47 and 52 overthe pulleys .38 and 39 and 541,{the path of the chain 52inclines upwardlyand the clainpinga'ction uponthe ".1 "strawiisreleased. It is fc'arried'to the right I by the chains '46 "and 47 and .is discharged from those chains asthey turn downwardly over the .pulleysf 23 and 24, and passes down the inclined table '29. The grain. or seed and the seed pods Twhich are broken from the straw by the action of the 'rollersi63 andfiat ,fall down to the lower portion of the ;ma-

chine and are guided by the inclined slopes 773ml sorlthall h y pass between the pair of rollers .75 and '76. These rollersserve to crushjany seed .pods which have not been broken by the previous action. The material discharged from the rollers and 76 is removed fandis put through a fanning mill'to separate the chaff from the grain or seed.

It will be observed that the direction ofrotation of the rollers 63 and 6a is such as to be opposed to the direction of movement of the straw around. the pulley and the rapidity of its rotation is adjusted in .the design of the machine, sogthat there is no tendency for the head of thestraw to be entirely drawn j p ;tion in whichthey are shown in Figural;

The. machine may thus be used with lots of straw varying in length. In order to accomplish =:tlns movement the several 'sprocketswhich are carried by the driven shaftseextending the full width of the inaichine are sildable upon such shafts.

In the=operationYof the formof .myap

to be :threshed is placed upon the lower chains 108and 109 at .the left end of the apparatus. Theseichains 'moveto the'right and carrythe flax under the chain 97 and thesetwo opposed setsof chains being resilaratus shownin Figures 8 and 9, the flax iently urged into the sameplane, the flax is'firmly held :as it is passed through the matchineg-llhe flax .isplaced that its seedsbearingjiheadscome into the plane of the meeting faces oft-he rollers 1120, and

the shaft 114 being rotated simultaneously with the movement ofithe chains, the 'flax as 'it progresses is rapidly rolled by the series-of crollers -120 carried by the spider. Early .in its; travel the rollers cross it 'diag' onallyin-one direction; as it approachesthe middle of. its travel they pass across it parallel to its-travel; and toward the close ofits-travel it is rolled upon another diagonal. The successive pairs of rollers also have a beating action upon the heads of the grain and prevent the heads from being matted or compacted together.

Obviously the ratio of movement of the flax and of the spider carrying the thrashing rollers may be made such as to give any desired number of rollings during the passage through the machine. The straw after the thrashing is carried out of the machine upon the lower chains 108 and 109 and is discharged at the rightend of the machine. The seeds and seed pods broken from the straw by the thrashing action drop to the lower partof the machine and are carried by the planes 7? and 78 to the rollers 75 and "6. where any seed pods which have been discharged without being broken are here crushed to release the seeds. Material discharged from these rollers is passed through a fanning mill to eliminate chaff, as in the other form of the apparatus.

Either form of. my apparatus accomplishes in a very short travel a very thorough rolling of the seed bearing head of the straw. Obstinate flax seed some timesrequires 20, 30 or even more rollings to properly remove the grain. If the straw were passed by any mechanism through 20 or 30 pairs of rolls, a very large and cumbersome machine would be required. Further, the continued rolling without agitation between rollings causes the heads to become compressed into a compact mass, which prevents rather than assists in the thorough removal ofthe seed. The gear ratios in the first form of my machine may be so related that the thrashing roll carrying wheel may make as high as one hundred or more revolutions to a single revolution of the wheel 28. Thus the flax bundle, while traversing half of the circumference of the wheel 28, may be rolled two hundred times between pairs of thrashing rolls. This wouldtake place it the ratios were one to one hundred, since there are four sets of thrashing rolls upon the wheels. A

similar amount of rolling may be secured by properly relating the rate of movement of the chains and of rotation of the spider in thesecond form of the apparatus.

In addition to this rolling action, in both forms of the apparatus the thrashing rolls have the effect of whipping the heads of the bundles of material as the rolls come in contact with each bundle head and any matting is obviated and the loose chaff and .seed are knocked out and dropped into the hopper, at the lower side of the apparatus.

lVhile I have shown two preferred forms 7 of my apparatus, it is to be understood that they are illustrative only and that I may vary their design or construction within the scope of the appended claims. While the flat; has been referred to as fed in bundles, it obviously may be fed in a continuous layer if desired.

I claim:

1. In a machine of the class described, means for passing the material to be threshed through the machine, and opposed thrashing rolls and means adapted to carry them into and out of the path of movement of the material through the machine.

2. In a machine of the class described, means for passing the material to be threshed through the machine, and a pinrality of pairs of opposed thrashing rolls carried by means adapted to rotate them and to carry them along a portion of the path of movement of the material in a position to engage the seed carrying portion of the material and to roll it between them.

3. In a machine of the class described means for passing the material to be threshed through the machine, and a plu rality of pairs of opposed thrashing rolls mounted upon means adapted to give them a circulatory movement, a portion of the path of said movement coinciding with the path of movement of the material through the machine.

4. In a machine of the class described, a

plurality of continuous conveyor elements through the machine, and a planetary system of thrashing rolls adapted to engage the seed carrying portion of the material.

6. In a machine of the class described, a plurality of continuous conveyor elements adapted to carry material to be threshed through the machine, and a planetary system of paired thrashing rolls adapted to engage the seed carrying portion of the ma terial and successively roll it between the paired rolls.

7 In a machineof the class described, a rotatable conveyor guide pulley, conveying means adapted to carry the material to be threshed whereby a portion thereof is brought into engagement with the periphery of said pulley and to maintain it engaged therewith during a portion of the rotation thereof, the seed portion extending beyond the pulley, and means adapted to thresh the seed carrying portions of the ma terial while the material is held against the pulley.

" 8. In a machine of the class described, a

rotatable conveyor guide pulley, conveying means adapted to carry the material to be threshed into engagement with, the periphery of said pulley and'to maintain ,it engaged therewith during a portion of the rotation thereof, and a plurality of pairs of opposed thrashing rolls carried by means adapted to rotate them and to carry. them along a portion of the path of movement of the material in a position to engage the seed carrying portion of the material and to roll it between them. 1

9. In a ma'chineof the class described, a rotatable conveyor guide pulley, conveying means adapted to carry the material to be threshed into engagement with the periphery of said pulley and to maintain it engaged therewith during a portion of the rotation thereof, and a plurality of pairs of opposed thrashing rolls mounted upon vmeans adapted to give them a circulatory movement, a portion of the path of said movement coinciding with that portion or the path of movement of the material while in engagement with the pulley.

10. In a machine of the class described, a plurality of continuous conveyor elements, a portion of the paths of the conveyors being substantially parallel andtheconveyr ors being adapted to retain between them .for this portion of their travel materialto be thresh'ed with the seed carrying portion BERTRAND s. sUMMERs 

